Fluid Flow in the Subsurface

Hui-Hai Liu is a Lead Researcher in Aramco Research Center in Houston.  Before joining Aramco in 2014, he had been with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) in different scientific and managerial roles for 17 years, including chairing its hydrogeology department from 2009 to 2013. Hui-Hai has 30 year’s R&D experience in the areas of vadose zone hydrology, subsurface fluid flow, hydro-mechanical processes, and their applications to groundwater contamination, disposal of high-level nuclear waste, CO2 geological sequestration, and unconventional reservoirs. His major scientific contributions include the generalization of Darcy-Buckingham law to incorporate gravitational fingering flow based on the optimality principle, and the development of the two-part Hooke’s model (TPHM) for rock deformation by modifying Hooke’s law. His work has been documented in 150+ journal papers, 40+ issued US patents, numerous government research reports, and a research monograph entitled “Fluid flow in the subsurface: History, generalization and application of physical laws”. Hui-Hai is a Distinguished Member of Society of Petroleum Engineer, Fellow of Geological Society of America, and has received awards from different earth science and engineering organizations, including Truog Soil Science Outstanding Dissertation Award from SSSA and Director’s Exceptional Achievement Award from LBNL. He holds a Ph.D. degree in soil physics from Auburn University.

• Preface.- 1. Generalization of Darcy Law: Non-Darcian Liquid Flow in Low-permeability Media.- 2. Generalization of Darcy-Buckingham Law: Optimality and water flow in unsaturated media.- 3. Two-Part Hooke Model (TPHM): Theory, Validation and Applications.- 4. A Thermodynamic Hypothesis Regarding Optimality Principles for Flow Processes in Geosystems.- 5. Final Remarks.